Drying apparatus



Dec. 17, 1957 R. D. MYERS EI'AL DRYING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 27, 1944 Dec. 11, 1957 Original Filed June 27, 1944 mmmmms mar/01v- Mair R. D. MYERS EI'AL 2,816,372

DRYING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 come/m6: Mam?" you/0 zm/zv Q-mzr 7 INVENTORS fio444/va D. MYERS Dec. 17,1957 R. D. MYERS ETAL 2,816,372

DRYING APPARATUS Original Filed June 27, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 E '& F a, 0

. ZNVENTORJ Eo444/v0 0. .mreves 64a. f/OQM/VTS DRYING APPARATUS Rolland D. Myers, Edgewood, and Saul Hormats, Baltimore, Md., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of War, as trustee Original application June 27, 1944, Serial No. 542,426. Divided and this application December '7, 1951, Serial 1 Claim. (Cl. 34216) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 265) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government, for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This application is a division of our original application entitled Method for Preparing Catalytic Adsorbents filed in the Patent Ofiice June 27, 1944, Serial No. 542,426.

This invention relates to an improved method for producing contact catalysts and, more particularly, to granular or subdivided solids impregnated with catalytically active metal compounds, such as whetlerized charcoals.

Although the invention is directed mainly to the production of impregnated charcoals having high efficiency for separating toxic gases or the like from air, it is advantageously applicable in providing other types of contact catalysts or sorptive agents with improved efficiency.

For a number of reactions, such as hydrogenation, oxidation, hydration, dehydration and splitting, oxides and salts of metals which can exist in two or more states of oxidation are the most important catalysts. These compounds act as contact catalysts when present as solids in gases, vapors, and liquids undergoing reaction. The catalytic solids may be in lump, granular, pelleted, fibrous or powdered form; they may be by themselves or supported on carriers which are inert or which promote catalytic activity. Generally the carrier is impregnated with the supported catalytic compound; and, in general, the most active catalysts are metal oxides which are very sensitive to reducing gases.

Aside from activated carbons or chars, other types of solids which may be impregnated are silica gel, bauxite, alumina, activated alumina, fullers earth, diatomaceous earth, asbestos, soda lime, clays, both natural and synthetic, and other solids of a more or less porous adsorptive nature. Liquid and gaseous agents which may be used in impregnating these solids include salts, alkaline and neutral compounds.

impregnated charcoals known as whetlerites have been found to be effective for removing from air contaminants which have irritant and toxic physiological effects on human beings. Whetlerites, accordingly, have been important for use in gas mask canisters and the like. They have been produced by first soaking an activated carbon or charcoal in an aqueous copper salt solution, such as a solution of copper ammonium carbonate complex, removing excess solution, reacting the adsorbed salts and drying the impregnated charcoal. The final salt left deposited around the charcoal may comprise a mixture of copper oxide and copper hydroxide. Recently, it has been found that compounds of metals other than copper can be included in the whetlerizing solution to provide chars having improved properties. Investigations have indicated that there are wide variations in the efficiency of Whetlerites, depending upon the method of preparation.

ited States atentO ice In hitherto used methods for drying wet impregnated solids, the volatile material was subjected to a forced boiling at elevated temperatures without concern about the reactivity of the volatilized substances with the residual impregnant.

From results obtained with the present invention, it has been indicated that a certain number of new principles can be employed jointly and severally for improving the efficiency of the catalysts.

A procedure found to be highly efficacious for impregnating adsorbent solids makes use of centrifugal force to insure penetration of a liquid into solid particles.

it has been found that a product of enhanced activity is obtained by drying the impregnated solid in thin layers, e. g., layers about one to six inches thick, exposed to circulated hot drying gases to dilute and rapidly remove the volatilized liquid.

A more uniform product of high catalytic efficiency is obtained by treating the impregnated solid in a layer of substantially uniform thickness, as, for example, in trays of suitable dimensions, to have substantially all parts of the layer become dry simultaneously, and by following the drying directly by conversion to the active catalyst. This kind of treatment in a continuous and expeditious manner on a large scale was not attainable with any formerly available apparatus.

It is beneficial to maintain the drying solid at low temperatures, e. g., below about C., the normal boiling point of water, and preferably below 50 C., until the impregnated mass is substantially dry, before raising the temperature to a conversion point, above 100 C.

While heated air was found to be a most practicable drying medium, other gases, such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen and the like, or mixtures of such gases,

are effective for diluting and removing hot water vapors without injury to the activity of the catalyst. The oxidizing drying gases may also serve as activating gases at suitable temperatures.

The drying gas may comprise a stabilizing or promot ing agent, such as ammonia gas or carbon dioxide, prior to final drying and activation or conversion; and in order to avoid excessive dilution of evolved vapors with consequent difficulty in the recovery of such an agent, the drying medium may contain a high concentration of the stabilizing agent for recycling after separation of volatilized liquid.

For accomplishing the desired results expediently on a practical basis, a new type of apparatus was designed, and the method of this invention will be described with reference to this apparatus, which is illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a schematic flow plan for carrying out the process with a simplified elevational view of the apparatus.

Figure 2 represents a schematic internal arrangement of the main parts of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of thebox trays used in carrying impregnated catalysts within the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2. This view illustrates details at the juncture of the boxes.

Figure 4 is a detailed transverse sectionai view of the conveyor boxes taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1, solid material to be treated is charged from feed hopper 1 into centrifuge 2 for impregnation. From the centrifuge, the impregnated solid material, wet internally but preferably dry at the surface and free flowing, is discharged into the hopper bin 3 from which it may be flowed onto a conveyor within the drier 4. Further details on the conveyor will be given in connection with Figure 2, with which the functioning of the drier will also be further discussed. The drier 4 carries a driving pulley 5 motivated by a prime mover or motor 6 for causing movement of the conveyor within the drier. Attached to 'the drier '4 are any desired number of conduits 7, 8, 9 and It for removing gases and vapors from each separate treating chamber .A, B and C Within the drier. Each of these conduits contains a shut-01f valve 11 and a valved by-pass vent 1-2.

A conduit 13, into which maybe connected any of the gas outlet lines 7, 8,19, from the treating chambers of drier 4, is provided to 'eifect a recycling of gases. Conduit 13 leads to a blower 14 'which in "turn forces the gases through valve-controlled by-p'ass conduit .15, conduit 16 following separation :unit 17,01 serially through unit .17, which functions to strip the gases of undesired conden'sible vapors, then through a reheating unit 18. Recycled gases m'a'y beiretu'rned to one or more chambers in drier' l e. g., by conduit '1 with any desired amount of fresh addedmake-up gas'from line 20. Bl'ower 21 is provided to force a fresh drying gaseous medium through conduit 22'to be heated in heating unit "18 and injected into drying and conversion chambers of drier '4.

In using the unit '17 to recover ammonia or recycle gas having a high concentration of ammonia, this unit may be provided with an air cooler "followed by -'a refrigerating means to condense out aqu'eou's ammonia and ammonium compound vapors in a manner well known to the art. Likewise, the refrigeratio'n may be followed in circuit by a silica gel adsorption unit if desired, and recovered ammonia'cal liquors 'may be redistilled to obtain a strong ammonia liquor or to separate ammonia from water, "as in the ammonia absorption process used inrefrigeratlon. The method and apparatus employed for removing water from ammonia is not necessarily novel and, therefore, is not described in detail.

Operations Will now be discussed with reference to Figure 2. In the process, the material which is to be treated is supplied from a 'charging'device 1 which may measure the charge. The initial solid materialplaced in 1 may be a solid compound, a carrier, an impregnated carrier or a partially impregnated carrier. Considering that the initial solid material is activated-carbon, charcoal or similar finely divided absorbent material, which is to be impregnated, from hopper 1 the charcoal is discharged through a pipeSllagainst thetop part of a basket 32 in centrifuge 2. The centrifuge basket is rotated-on spindle 33 by the motor 34 supported on the fixed standards 35. Liquid which flows through the centrifuge basket is collected in the surrounding stationary vessel 36 and discharged through drain 37.

:The rate of rotation of the centrifuge and the manner of discharging material into the centrifuge may be adjusted to give a fairly uniformannular layer of charcoal from top to bottom-on thesides of the basket. An impregnating solution made to flow through pipe .38 'is sprayed onto the layer of charcoal until it-is saturated. The speed of the centrifuge is then increased in order to employ centrifugal force suificient to drive the liquid into the pores of the charcoal particles and through thecharcoal layer. After the charcoal is well saturated, the spray of impregnating solution is turned off and centrifuging is allowed to proceed for about one minute to remove any excess liquid. At this point, a discharge gate 39 at the bottom-of the basket 32 is dropped, and an air supply line 40 is opened to blow a series of air jets against the basket 32 in order to completely remove the impregnated charcoal from the wall of the basket and force the impregnated charcoal into hopper bin '3. The described operations can be accomplished with the aid of automatic electrical controls, utilizing timer-operated valves, motor and signals, which are not shown.

The drying and conversion technique of the present invention may be used with other suitable methods of impregnating, but preferably is employed :with animpreg'n'ation procedure capable of saturating a solid porous material prior to a controlled drying and conversion of the impregnating material. The preferred impregnation procedure brings about a replacement of adsorbed air by the impregnating liquidin microscopically small pores and leaves the surface of the porous particles with a dry feel. The particles are thus free flowing, do not conglomerate or clog the screen on the trays, and reduce channeling in gas flow through the layer.

The drier 4 is of a continuous type and possesses excellent flexibility in operation. Vlithin the drier 4 is a continuous or cndiess conveyor 4.1 comprising a series ofv inter-linked box-shaped trays 42. This conveyor is arranged to carry the material through any desired number of separate treating chambers, e. g., A, B and C in each of which conditions can be independently controlled, and then to discharge the treated material in a substantially continuous manner.

In order to fill-thetraysof the conveyor boxes 42 completely and uniformly, the hopper3isgprovided with'regulating'discharge valve 43 andnarrows to a suitable dimension, about four inches, forming an opening 44 which extends across the drier to a width :of about six feet, or the width of the boxes. The plates 45 are disposed to prevent overflow of charcoal at the filling and to restrict the flow of gas between the partitioned chambers A, B and C. The partitions-dfi between-the chambers, and to which the plates 45 are attached, are adjusted into position to permit a longer or.-shorter-operationin any of the chamber compartments. The sizesof the compartments may thus be changed as required by changes in the process. For example, the space A may be reduced and used for contacting a relatively cool stream of ammonia with .the

wet .impregnatedwcharcoal, or this space may beincreased in size in treating theimpregnated charcoal with aheated drying gas or a drying gas containing ammonia to accomplish removal of water. Plates47 which are counter- Weighted and pivoted on partitions 46 effect a closure against lower members'ofthe conveyor boxes as shown in the detailed View of Figure 3. The train of boxes is made to move by the rotation of the drivingpulley 5 which in turn rotates .a wheel having sprockets .49 to move the conveyor, as in a chain-and gear mechanism.

The conveyor as viewediinvFigure 2 is-moved in a clockwise direction sothat the conveyed solids are-passed. at a predetermined rate through the treating chambers A, B and :C. Gas inletsSi), 51 and 52 admit streams-oftreating .and drying .gases into each of-the chambers at controlled temperatures and rates of .fiow. The-treating and drying-gases pass upthrough the layers of conveyed solids, andeffiuent gases -and vapors are withdrawn from each of the chambers by lines 7, 8 and'9. When ammonia is present'in the dryinggases used in-eitherof thefirst two chambers A:and B, or both, according to the process employed, and a rnecessity for effecting a recovery thereof exists, the ammonia may be recovered by sending the eflluent gases from these chambers to an ammonia separation. unit 17 as has'been described.

Following the-treatmennthe-tray boxes become tipped and .inverted as they vpass over .wheel 53 .and thereupon discharge their solid contents into the hopper .54. A vibrator .55 of conventional'commercial type may beprovided to remove most of the solid which does not readily fall into the discharge hopper 54. The'vibrator may .be attached to a section of the lower rail 64 supporting the inverted boxes above the hopper 54. A valve 79 is provided at the bottom of hopper 54 for removal of collected solid products. The :closure member of this valve maybe'of the cross-vane type for continuous removal of the solids as the vanes are rotated.

After discharging their contents .intO hopper 54, the boxes 42.may bepassedover anairblast fromblowerifi to effect cooling and then under a wash sprayfrompjpe 57. A suitable wash liquid fordissolving.andremovingcopper oxide and other copper compound scale from .theboxesis an aqueous ammonium carbonate carbamate solution.

The wash solution is collected in the liquidsump 58 provided with a valved sludge drain 59, and liquid may be recycled from the sump through line 60 by pump 61 to be returned to spray line 57. Space is allowed for draining of the boxes as they proceed to pass over wheel 70, after which they are ready for recharging under hopper 3.

A mode of construction and functioning of the conveyor boxes 42 will be explained by reference to the detailed views in Figures 3 and 4 together with Figure 2. The boxes may be of any suitable dimensions, e. g., two feet by about six feet, the six-foot dimension being the width of the conveyor. The bottom of each box has L- shaped angle iron members 63 spaced a definite distance apart and attached to the sides 74 of the boxes. These L-shaped members support a reinforcing screen, e. g., a 4 to mesh steel wire screen 66, on which is sufficiently fine mesh screen, e. g., a No. 35 steel wire screen 67, to support a layer 68 of the finely divided solid material subjected to treatment. The layer of impregnated charcoal may be from about one inch to six inches thick, for example.

Each box 42 rides on a set of rollers 69 in a swivel relationship to the adjacent boxes riding on the same set of rollers. The rollers are on both sides of the boxes and run in grooved tracks or on rails 64 except at the places where the conveyor passes over the sprocketed wheels 70 and 53. Thus, when the boxes pass over the wheels 70 and 53, their end walls 71 and 72 become separated. The sprockets 49 of wheels 70 and 53 may be arranged to move the conveyor by pushing against the L-shaped members 63.

As shown in Figure 4, the interior sides 73 of the drier 4 are nearly contiguous with the sides 74 of the boxes. In order to prevent passage of gas from one chamber to another within the drier and to provide necessary working clearance, the steel plate sides 74 of the boxes nearly touch or bear against the inner surfaces of the drier. A clearance of about 0.07 inch is satisfactory for preventing undue stresses. A gas seal is obtained at the bottoms of the boxes as they pass the partitions 46 by the pivoted plates 47 sliding against the bottom parts of the L-members 63 in the boxes. The rollers 69 are guided by the tracks 64 within the covers 75 and carry the boxes on axles 76. Plates 77 and 78 fixed to the side walls of the boxes serve to link the boxes to the axle and to further seal oil gas movement between the chambers. Thus each box can share its front two wheels and back two wheels with the front and back adjacent boxes respectively. By having the linked plates 77 and 78 differ a little in size and overlapping in a sliding relationship, interference between the ends of the boxes is avoided when the ends are separated, and a good gas seal is obtained. The tracks may be slightly inclined to aid the movement of the boxes through the chambers.

Although the described drier is particularly adapted for the process of this invention and has many advantages over existing designs, it is to be understood that other types of apparatus may be devised to carry out the process. It is to be noted that the described apparatus has provisions for conducting the process continuously. It provides for continuous charging of the initial materials, successive treatment steps under independently controlled conditions, and continuous removal of the products. It permits the solid material to be subjected to uniform treatment with an efiicient use of the treating gases. The thickness of the solid material undergoing treatment is controlled. The types of gases used in the treatment can be varied, and the conditions of treatment can be changed to conform to the requirements of the material.

In carrying out modifications of the present invention with available types of apparatus, other than that de scribed, to obtain impregnated charcoal or contact cataiysts of maximum quality, two or a plurality of driers may be connected in series, the first one to be supplied, for example, with substantially pure ammonia or with recycled air containing ammonia at high temperatures for a partial drying of the wet solids, and the second to be supplied with heated air for drying at a moreelevated temperature. The effiuent gases from the first drier may be recycled to conserve the ammonia and may be passed through a unit which removes water and maintains the ammonia concentration at a proper level.

If the quality of the impregnated charcoal to be produced requires a preliminary drying in the presence of ammonia or other stabilizing gas, followed by an intermediate air drying, and a final drying to remove the residual stabilizing gas, this process can be carried out in the three successive chambers A, B and C of the drier described instead of two chambers, or requires three commercial-type unit driers in series. Ammonia may be recovered from the eflluent gas in the second treatment if the concentration of the ammonia is sufficiently high to warrant the recovery. The final treatment wherein traces of ammonia are removed from the catalyst, in general, does not warrant the recovery of ammonia or recycling of the gas. It is to be borne in mind, however, that in using any type of drier which does not provide for a treatment of the solid material in a uniform thin layer or uniform small mass with a controlled stream of drying gas in order to obtain quick uniform removal of water from the solid, the quality of the product becomes lowered.

Commonly the activity of the catalysts depends mainly on the character of the surface of the catalysts which in turn depends upon the final steps in the preparation of the catalysts. The metal oxide catalysts are often prepared by reaction between an oxidizing agent and a salt of the metal which is to be converted into the oxide. This reaction may be carried out in an aqueous solution, and the precipitate or insoluble solids formed in the reaction may be dried or used for impregnating a carrier which is to be heated and dried. For example, one method of preparing a copper oxide impregnated charcoal comprises treating an activated charcoal with an aqueous solution of a copper salt, e. g., copper sulfate or copper chloride, then reacting the copper salt impregnant with an alkaline substance such as a caustic solution. In another method of impregnating charcoal, the charcoal is wetted with an aqueous solution of copper ammonium carbonate complex. For other types of catalysts, the following will serve as an example: Zinc oxide is stirred into chromium nitrate solution. The reaction product mixture is evaporated to dryness, and the heat is continued until the nitrate is converted into oxide. The solid product may be mixed with a binder, then dried and granulated. On the other hand, the initial materials may be reacted in impregnating a carrier, and the impregnated carrier may be dried and heated. The steps of heating and drying are advantageously carried out in accordance with the present invention to improve the activity of the catalysts. When the carrier is of a combustible nature, such as chars or activated carbon, the upper limit of the heat treatment is restricted by the temperature to which the char begins to glow or ignite in an oxidizing atmosphere. This upper limit is of the order of 180 C. to 200 C.

As previously pointed out, one of the serious difliculties in the final treatment of the catalysts occurs through the effects of the moisture on the dried or converted oxide products. If there is considerable overlapping of the drying and conversion stages, there is a likelihood that the residual moisture during the conversion will deteriorate the converted catalysts. This effect is greatly minimized by the process of this invention. In this process, the drying is accelerated. During the drying, the solid catalysts mass is cooled due to the removed heat of the evaporation, but the temperature of the drying gas may be increased to compensate for the temperature drop so that the solid material attains a temperature of not more than C. or whatever temperature is critical when the material has just reached the nearly dry stage.

. 7 Thus, a. stabilizir'ig,gas,suchv as ammonia, or air containingga stabili'zinglgas at atemperature above 100 C.,, e. g.,,about.13'5''tol1"50 C.,,may be used for the preliminary drying without deterioration" ofthe catalytic rnaterialif the flow of hot gas and the body of catalysts have a controlled relation to keep the mass below the critical temperature until the water is. nearly all evaporated; And then, by continuing, the process, the solid particles are gradually raised-in'temperature to-the con version point If air is employed alone for the drying, the drying is completed at an optimum. temperature, preferably in the range of'30 C1 to. 50 C., before the conversion is obtained of the substantially d'ry' material at abovel'00" C1, or preferablyab'out 140 C; to about 180 C; It'is. indicated that the volatilized moisture tends to cause ai're'du'ctibn of the m'oisture-sensitive metal oxide catalysts, copperoxideand. the like; as thetemperaturei is increased to'above' 100 C. The following data illustrates the'effe'cts of drying gases free of moisturein" contrast to drying with water vapor presentv on the catalytic activity of whetlerite:

Similarly, it" has been observed that water vapor from the bottompart of a thick layer of impregnated adsorbent very 'd'eleteriously affects a top part'of the thick layer in which all parts are not dried simultaneously.

Also, it has been observed that if the ammonia content of the impregnating solution is increased from about 7% to about 14%, the efficiency of the whetlerite is doubled; This eifect may be due to the dried whetleritecontaining more CuCO .CuO in using a low concentration of ammonia and at a higher concentration containing more CuCO .Cu(OH) which is considered to be more stable at temperatures near and above 100 C. at which reduction becomes rapid.

The activity or sorptive power of the catalyst is determined by passing a standard concentration of a toxic gas mixed with air through a tube containing astandard amount of the catalyst; the timeelapsed before the toxic gas appearsin the exit gases leaving the tube is a measure of the absorption. power.

In the steam-dried product, numerous particles with a coating of metallic copper were found, the whetlerite was soft and decomposed, and the exit gases from the drier contained carbon dioxide. Similarly, if the impregnated adsorbent. is wet at. the surface and in deep. beds, water drained toward. the, bottom leads, to formation of' steam which adversely affects theproduct. Once the wateris. removed, the whetlerite becomes more. stable at elevated temperatures, and thebest activity is ob.-

tained whenthe final activation treatment can. be carried out at elevatedtemperatures of'about to Ci, preferably with. an oxidizing gas.

From an interpretation of' results, another factor of activity is the" impregnatingcompound content of the ad scrbent. if the impregnation precipitates'salts which cl'og 1 the capillaries, the activity'islowered. A stabilizing agent,

such as ammonia or carbon dioxide, apparently serves to keep the salts'in solution so that the solution can penctrate into the" capillaries;

The term sorpti've as used hereindenotes the ca pacity of a solid to hold or concentrate gases, liquids, or dissolved substance at its surface physically as by adsorption or chemically as by absorption.

It is to be understood that modifications may bemade in the foregoing procedures in practising the invention without departing from the scope thereof.

Weclaim:

An apparatus for-continuous drying of particulate matter, whichcomprises-an i nclosing' casing, an endless: conveyorwithin said casing, driving means for moving said conveyor, said conveyor comprising a series of interlocked box shaped ti'ays having perforated bottoms, said trays being mounted omrollers positioned at each end of the tray, adjacent trays sharing atpai'r of rollers at eachend, said rollers being exterior of the tray and moving in inclosed track's: exterior tothe casing, said trays. being closely positioned adjacent each other and adjacent the casing, charging means atone-end of said conveyor, discharge-hopper'to receive the contents of'said tra-ys at the other end ofsaid conveyor, means-'f'or'blowing gases through said perforated bottonrtrays within limited sections of said 'ca'sin-g' and conveyor.

References Cited in' the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS 

